From the High Grass

By: Chris Aumock

Last month, I was able to volunteer for a few nights at the 3M Open with our colleagues at TPC Twin Cities. This event is a great opportunity to show off the abilities of our industry professionals and the quality of conditions we can provide to PGA Tour players. Congratulations to Superintendent Joe Rolstad, Assistant Superintendents Riley Soderstrom and Max Kelly, and all the TPC staff on delivering excellent conditions for the players!

For the 3M, I was able to join the fairway divot team. I have never particularly enjoyed doing divots, but something about that Thursday night was just perfect. We had a beautiful evening, with warm temps and low humidity. Riding around with the crew talking about golf, the course, and a few laughs, it really brought me back to the beginning. Those early years on a crew, working with your friends and having fewer worries about your responsibility for the golf course. (I do think my divot work was of the highest quality)! It does remind one of the joys this job has brought, and these volunteer shifts can reignite that ingrained passion.

Maybe there was more opportunity to work amongst my crews. I could have joined the divot or bunker team for an hour. Yes, they would be uncomfortable, but the more often it happens, the more relaxed and effective that task could become. If it was raining and I made my crew work through it, I made sure I was out there with them. To be out in the elements and not sitting at the desk. Working alongside the crew was essential to maintain that respect and credibility amongst the crew.

It was great to meet a few of our future superintendents at the TPC, to listen to their current perspective and relate that to my own experiences. That passion

to participate and grow in their careers is an admirable trait that will serve them well into the future. Perhaps we can provide more of these types of opportunities. Let’s continue to find new ways to engage our young assistants and staff. Show them other sides of the industry, whether that’s seeing a public course vs. a private club, or understanding the sales or distribution side, there are more opportunities to expose our young staff to all aspects of this industry.

Thank you to all the volunteers and sponsors that supported this event. One of the strengths of our industry is our willingness to step up and support each other. Whether that’s for a tournament event such as this, or if someone really needs help. It’s fantastic how readily we show up for each other. Just this year, our colleagues at Grand Forks Country Club lost their maintenance facility to a fire, yet almost immediately, the local community and industry stepped up to make sure they were prepared for their season. Yet another great example of the support this industry provides. It’s reassuring to remember that your colleagues will most likely be there, willing to help out when needed.

I hope you are all lucky enough to have an enthused, engaged individual or two on your staff. It is exciting to see, through all the talk of staffing struggles, that there are people out there interested in this profession. Getting that opportunity to spend some time on the golf course with a few of them, was a valuable experience. We will always need quality engaged staff members and finding different opportunities for them to expand their knowledge and experience, will only benefit the larger industry. Let’s continue to step up for each other when needed, in good times and bad, and we will continue to be an industry worth joining.